Can You See the Light? Or, What's Up With Goggles?

Sure, you gotta look steezy, but wouldn't it rule if your goggles actually helped you see BETTER? First, let's talk about the actual goggles; we'll get into lenses in a bit. Goggles come in a ton of sizes and shapes, mostly so that one will fit that weird, gourd shaped head of yours, so try as many on as you need to find a good fit. They should be comfortable, of course, and the foam should create a seal around your face. Gaps are not good. Pay special attention to the fit around the nose, as this is where most people have problems. Speaking of foam, the better goggles have two or three layers of foam for comfort, usually with fleece against the skin. If you sweat a lot, are sensitive to foam, or are looking for maximum comfort, look for this feature. If you do sweat a lot, get the largest goggle that fits your face; the more air around your eyes, the less likely fogging will occur. Another fog preventer is venting. Check to see if the frame has foam or mesh vents on all sides of the frame.

The Lens: There are two types of lenses.
1. Cylindrical. This is the traditional shape that curves around the face from ear to ear.
2. Spherical. This is the newer style. Like a sphere, it curves around the round shape of the eye, in all directions. This causes less distortion looking through the lens, as well as creating more air space inside, which helps reduce fogging. Also, more expensive.
Any decent goggle (say, over $40 or so) will have a dual lens. If you look at the goggle closely, you will see that there are two lenses in front of your eyes, a few millimeters apart. This is to help prevent fogging. You do not want a single lens goggle. Believe me.

Lenses come in many different colors, and that's not just for matching outfits, really! Mirrored lenses cut glare in the sunlight, help with the lurk factor since nobody can see your eyes, and look cool, but generally do not work well in low or flat light conditions (cloudy, snowing, nighttime). For bright, sunny days, obviously a darker tinted lens is nice. Something that lets in 15% to 30% of the light. For an all around tint, usually the 25%- 50% range will work, depending on what your weather is usually like. A good range for stormy, flat light conditions is 50%- 85%. This is usually a little too bright for sunny days. At this point, you might be thinking that it would be a good idea to have two pairs of goggles, or at least an extra lens. Extra lens? Yup, if you didn't know, most higher end goggles have lenses that can be replaced.

Lens Tints. Believe it or not, a different color lens can have a huge impact on your ability to see, especially in the shade, snow, fog, or other low or flat light situations.
Sunny/ Bright Light. Brown, bronze, and gray are great for very sunny days, and a mirror will help cut the glare.
Night Riding. Clear, yellow, light rose, light persimmon, light orange. These colors help add definition to the snow, making it easier to spot dips and bumps, along with generally adding to depth perception.
Cloudy, Snowing. This is probably the most important one. You can't see the ground, the bumps, anything. I find a rose tint to give me the most definition, but persimmon and orange are good too. No mirrored coatings are needed here. A medium darkness tint (say 30%-50%) should give you a good all-in-one lens if you are only going with one lens. This will make visibility pretty good in most conditions.

What the hell? So, based on this info, you should be able to find the perfect goggle/ goggles for you. Need more guidance? That's why I'm here. When looking for a new goggle, I first find something that fits. I sweat like a pig while riding, so I need the largest, spherical frame that will fit on my face. Also, I do some homework to find a style that will be around for a few years, so I can keep replacing the lens as needed (find a style that has been around a while, has pro models, or something you see a lot of people wearing are good indicators). I make sure that the lens tints that I prefer are available for that goggle. As I do not like to change lenses in the parking lot while there is shredding to be done, I own two pairs of goggles. My sunny, Bear Mtn, general lens is a mirrored rose, with around a 20% light transmission. This is great for sunny and mostly sunny days, and still works when the shade hits in the afternoon. For clouds, snow, and general nastiness, a non- mirrored rose lens with around a 60% light transmission.

Wear a helmet? If you do, make sure the goggles fit with it! The top of the goggles should be flush against the top lip of the helmet. Be sure the strap is long enough to fit as well (some goggle companies have longer straps or 'extender' straps available to accommodate helmets). Also, the helmet should not be overly pressing the goggles down on your nose. Comfort is what we're looking for here folks.

If you wear goggles all the time, it might be worth it to you to spend extra for a really nice pair of goggles. I replace the lens every year or two, and the frame usually lasts 4- 5 seasons. For the most part, you do get what you pay for, and a premium goggle usually will start around $60 and can easily go over $120. Hopefully now you will be looking good as well as seeing good! More shitty puns? I'll see you on the slopes!